Confronting the offseason with the vigor it typically reserves for the opposition, Sporting Kansas City on Tuesday unveiled new designated player Claudio Bieler, a high-scoring Argentine forward who will be charged with sparking an offense that often lacked a finishing touch this season.

Kansas City paid an undisclosed transfer fee to Bieler's former club, LDU Quito. The remaining terms of his contract were not disclosed. He will become Sporting's only designated player.

"He's proven over the years that he's a very consistent goal scorer," SKC coach Peter Vermes said in a statement. "We think he's got a lot of good qualities that can fit into our team. Everything from his commitment to being a team player, to his work ethic out on the field, to a guy that lives and breathes for club that he plays for. We're excited that we're able to finally secure him and add a player of his caliber to our organization."

Bieler, 28, bounced between the Argentine, Chilean and Ecuadorian leagues during a seven-year pro career and finished 2012 as the second-leading scorer in Ecuador's Serie A with 20 goals. His 71 goals (in 155 games) for LDU are the most in club history.

That comfort around the net should boost a Sporting Kansas City side that was brilliant in defense and dynamic in midfield but which had difficulty projecting that dominance onto the scoreboard. No team in MLS took more shots than SKC during the 2012 MLS season, but Vermes' team ranked 12th (tied with FC Dallas) in goals.

Bieler spent his first three years as a professional in Argentina and Chile before signing with LDU in 2008. He had three goals in that year's Copa Libertadores, including one in the finals, to help LDU become the first Ecuadorian team to win the South American championship.

Bieler led Serie A in scoring in 2009 and then returned to Argentina in 2010 to join Racing Club. But he failed to replicate his offensive exploits in the Primera División. After a brief loan spell with Newell's Old Boys, he returned to LDU the following year. The Quito club finished third in Serie A in 2012.

"Kansas City has followed me for the last few years and knows how important winning is to me," said Bieler, who is eligible to represent either Argentina or Ecuador internationally but has yet to do so. "It was a little hard to leave, as the fans at my old team wanted what I did, championships. Now I am excited to be here in KC and want to earn all of the hearts of the fans or 'hincha' like they call it in Ecuador.

"I am here and determined to win."

As is Sporting KC. Despite finishing first in the Eastern Conference regular-season standings for the second consecutive season and winning the U.S. Open Cup, an early exit from the MLS Cup playoffs and the prospect of CONCACAF Champions League play later this year has ensured a busy winter.

The club lost midfield anchor Roger Espinoza to Wigan Athletic of the English Premier League but managed to keep 2012 defender of the year Matt Besler in the fold despite interest from Europe.

Vermes then pulled the trigger on two intriguing trades, acquiring out-of-favor playmaker Benny Feilhaber, a 2010 World Cup veteran, from the New England Revolution; and U.S. Under-23 international Ike Opara, a defender, from the San Jose Earthquakes.